Tomball wins Baseball 4A State Championship

David Fanucchi

Published
12:31 pm CDT, Saturday, June 8, 2013

Tomball players celebrate after defeating Corpus Christi Moody 6-1 during the Class 4A UIL state baseball championship game on Friday, June 7, 2013, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. Go to HCNPics.com to view and purchase this photo, and others like it.

Tomball players celebrate after defeating Corpus Christi Moody 6-1 during the Class 4A UIL state baseball championship game on Friday, June 7, 2013, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. Go to HCNPics.com to

Tomball players celebrate after defeating Corpus Christi Moody 6-1 during the Class 4A UIL state baseball championship game on Friday, June 7, 2013, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. Go to HCNPics.com to view and purchase this photo, and others like it.

Tomball players celebrate after defeating Corpus Christi Moody 6-1 during the Class 4A UIL state baseball championship game on Friday, June 7, 2013, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas. Go to HCNPics.com to

The Tomball Cougars baseball team had dreamt of this day since the moment they were eliminated from the Class 5A playoffs last season in the third round. Returning 18 seniors to a varsity team that was loaded with talent and potential, a deep pitching staff, and a roster full of home-grown players, the Cougars knew that 2013 was going to be a special season. Their biggest goal and the one they knew they had the ability to accomplish, was a State title. Anything short of that would be a disappointment.

On Friday night in Round Rock, the Cougars made that massive expectation a reality, as they became the 2013 Class 4A Baseball State Champions with a 6-1 victory over the Corpus Christi Moody Trojans at Dell Diamond. The victory secured Tomball high school’s first ever State Championship in a team sport, as the Cougars went 35-4 overall on the season and 10-1 in the playoffs.

“It feels as good as I hoped it would,” said Tomball head coach Doug Rush, who also captured his first ever state title in over 25 years of coaching baseball. “I’m tired and it’s been a long season, but maybe tomorrow I’ll take a deep breath, let it sink in and realize what we did here tonight. I’ll have a special feeling for quite a while. The community of Tomball deserves this.”

Tomball starting pitcher Robert Dugger tossed a complete-game for his seventh win of the year, as he limited the Trojans to just one run on six hits while striking out four. Dugger also went 3-for-4 with four RBI at the plate, and his inside-the-park, three-run homer in the top of the first inning provided a huge, early-game lead for the Cougars. For his performance, Dugger was given the 4A State Baseball Championship Game Most Valuable Player Award.

Tomball jumped on Moody starting pitcher Michael Cantu right off the bat, as Nick Banks ripped the first pitch of the game into right field for a single. One out later, Ishmael Edward reached on a fielder’s choice and then stole second base. With two outs, Moody head coach Joe Curiel chose to intentionally walk Dillon Menville, but it backfired as Eric Dunbar followed with a run-scoring hit into right-center field that brought home Edwards with the first run of the game.

But the biggest hit of the night belonged to Dugger, who stepped up and hit and line drive right at Moody left fielder Brandon Cantu, who dove to make the catch but missed the ball. It rolled all the way to the wall, and Dugger - husting on the play - came all the way around to score for an inside-the-park, three-run homer. The Cougars immediately had a 4-0 lead.

“I was sitting on a fastball and got it, and I hit it hard into left field,” said Dugger. “When I saw that he missed the catch, I was running hard. But I was surprised that coach was waving me around. I’m glad that I was able to score on it - that was big for us to get that early lead.”

With one out in the bottom of the first, the Trojans collected back-to-back singles off Dugger. But the righty induced Moody cleanup hitter Michael Cantu to hit into a double play, started by Tomball third baseman Robbie Gillen.

From there, Dugger cruised through the middle innings, and Cantu also held the Cougars in check. It remained 4-0 until the fifth when Tomball added a run on Menville’s RBI single that plated Anthony Lucas, who had led off the frame with a base hit.

Moody scored their only run in the bottom of the sixth when Cantu’s groundout to the right side brought home Chris Estrada, who had singled and moved up on a double by Kenny Saenz. Dugger stranded Saenz at third base when he got Ricky Gonzalez to ground out to end the inning.

Stephen Bonnain led off the seventh with a pinch-hit double, and Dugger followed with another double that scored Kyle Workman, who was courtesy running for Bonnain.

Dugger then went out and walked the first hitter of the seventh for Moody, but got two groundouts and struck out pinch-hitter Ben Garcia swinging for the final out, as catcher Casey Smith ran towards him and the Cougars dogpiled on the pitcher’s mound.

“This is something that nobody can ever take away from them now,” said Rush. “It’s something they should always be proud of the rest of their lives.”

As senior Nick Banks walked off the field after celebrating with his teammates, he reflected. “There’s no words to describe it. I had chills out there all night. This was the game we wanted to be in from day one. I can’t believe we made our dreams come true. It’s an amazing feeling.”

NOTES: Look for Potpourri sportswriter David Fanucchi’s daily notes column over the weekend as he follows up with the Cougars on their State Championship title, and follow Fanucchi on Twitter @tomballsports